In a case reported by the Guardian with Chinese behemoth retailer Shein producing remarkably similar lookalikes of Zara designs, this looks like blatant IP infringement but also plays scant regard to sustainability. Social media played its part in the discovery with literally dozens of lookalike designs side by side. A staggering amount of around thirty-nine million views on TikTok were recorded.

Shein are no strangers to legal challenge as, apparently, other major brands such as Levi Strauss, the Dr Martens producer AirWair International and Ralph Lauren have also accused Shein of copying their fashions.

Fiercely denied by Shein, it would appear to be a deliberate strategy by many retailers who choose the fast track to market relying on the fact that the legal process for redress is painfully slow taking up to two years to go through the Court system. Meanwhile with soaring profits Shein gets away Scot free.

The Guardian reports that, “in an Instagram account named @zaravsshein it says in Spanish: “Find Zara clothes at Shein twice as cheap!!!! Every day new garment!! References of all garments. Start saving!” They also suggest looking at @dupesfashion where a collection of lookalikes are displayed.”

Dids Macdonald, OBE., CEO of ACID said, “Sadly, this culture of creating cheap lookalikes of well-known brands’ designs smacks in the face of sustainability fuelling an already “throwaway” attitude which has little or no respect for our planet. Sadly, many of our members suffer from copying by major global retailers who have little respect, ethics or compliance when it comes to intellectual property. It is usually a David & Goliath scenario with David being the loser most of the time.”